1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a household appliance having a door which can be pivoted about a horizontal axis formed by hinges arranged on both sides of the door, which is composed like a shell of an outer door panel and an inner door panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Doors of this type are used, for example, in household dishwashers in order to close a treatment space, a washing container. There is normally arranged in the upper part of the door a bezel for the accommodation of the switching and indicating elements. Moreover, addition devices for additives, insulating materials, electric components, parts of a door lock and so on are usually arranged in the interspace between the two door panels. Because of the relatively large extent of a door of this type, the torsional stiffness of the door is low, which leads to difficulties in closing and sealing the door.
For this reason, various stiffening measures by means of installing stiffening elements have been proposed. Thus, for example, DE-C 35 41 789 has disclosed an L-shaped stiffening rail, which extends over the entire width of the door, forms a part of the hinge and is fastened to the parts of the door seal. Furthermore, EP-A 04 52 288 discloses a torsionally stiff element, designed as a tube, to be fastened to the hinges and extending between the latter.
The stiffening elements described above are large in volume and heavy and must be completed with the hinge, or with further parts of the hinge, before the assembly of the door, which results in a large and even heavier constructional unit, which makes its handling more difficult during production, storage and final assembly assembly of the household appliance.